Perserverence
by xKumagoroux
Summary: Pairing-SetoSerenity The saying, "Opposites attract" is being put to the test, and if the saying proves correct, will it end "happily ever after? (I rated it M because i didn't want to underrate.) No Lemons (I need least 1 review for each chapter to upd
1. Chapter 1

**Perserverence**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Yada yada yada...**

"Joey! Hurry up or we're going to be late!" Serenity Wheeler called up the stairs. She turned around, her long auburn hair swaying behind her, and walked impatiently into the living room. Sitting down on the black leather sofa, she tapped her foot rythmetically as she heard a few thumps over her head. A few moments later, a disgruntled-looking Joey walked into the room, his wild blond hair looking even more untidy than usual.

"Gosh, Sis, there's no 'Five more minutes' wit you, huh?"

Serenity grinned. "Today's the first time I'll be going to your school Joey. Of course I'm excited. Now come on."

She grabbed his arm and the bagels she had grabbed from the kitchen a few minutes earlier and dragged him out of the house. The yellow bus had just pulled up on the corner when they arrived.Joey had eaten the bagels, and with food in his stomach, he seemed more awake.

They boarded the bus and after the bus had started moving again and the two siblings were settled comfortably on a seat, Joey grinned widely at her. "Gosh, Ser, you goin' ta my school.I'll be able ta keep an eye on you now."

Serenity lightly punched his shoulder, a small smile on her lips. The whole way to the school, Joey told her about the teachers and the basic rules of the school. By the time they arrived at the crowded campus grounds, Serenity was well-informed about the teachers, the food,the rules, the food, and some more food. She smiled. All Joey seemed to think about was food.

The two stepped off the bus into the heavy throng of high school students and slowly weaved through them, looking for Joey's friends.

"Hey! Joey! Over here!"

Joey turned around towards the voice and grinned. "Hey, Yug!"

The two walked over to where Yugi Moto was, his vividly colored hair making him easily seen. He was standing with Mai Valentine, Tristan Taylor,and Tea Gardner. Mai was tall and beautiful, with loads of blond hair cascading down her back, but she often got into trouble at the school for not following dress code, wearing her short skirt and black top with a purple jacket instead.

Tea, on the other hand, stayed in dress code, though she tried to dress fashionably most of the time. She had shoulder-length brown hair and was VERY optimistic.

Tristan, a tall guy with brown hair and a light brown jacket, had a MAJOR crush on Serenity-and everyone knew it.

"Hey, you guys. Serenity's starting here today!" Joey said cheerfully.

Tristan's face lit up and everyone laughed. The morning bell suddenly ran, causing the students on the grounds to rush into the open doors. The group of friends walked in and seperated, heading for their lockers.

"You gonna be al'right sis?" Joey asked as the others walked away.

Serenity laughed. "Yes, Joey. Don't worry about me. I think I'll be able to get to my locker without you guiding me there."

Joey grinned and gave her hair a small ruffle before walking away. Serenity watched him go, then pulled out her map of the school and walked away, studying the map intently and mumbling to herself. She finally found her locker and opened it, arranging her books in the tiny space. Taking only the books she would need for her first period class, she studyed the map again as she walked. She suddenly looked up and noticed that the halls were almost empty. She increased her pace, but the tardy bell rang before she had found her class.

"Oh,no!" She ran around frantically staring at the map. _'Gosh, why does this school have to be so freakin' big?'_

She suddenly ran into someone, the force of the blow knocking her down. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she squeaked, standing up and bowing in apology to the person she had bumped into. Looking up, she let out a small gasp. It was Seto Kaiba. THE Seto Kaiba. The multi-millionare that everyone talked about. He stared at her through his clear,cold, blue eyes, his face hard. She looked him over. He had neatly combed brown hair and an air about him that demanded respect. His attire was his trademark trench coat,today it was blue, and black slacks. She suddenly remembered about classes and hurridly bent down to pick up her things.

"What are you doing in the hallway? Class has already started." Seto asked in an almost dismissive tone.

Serenity frowned. That dismissive tone annoyed her, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, after she had picked up her things, she turned back to him.

"I know that. Today's my first day at this school though, and I got lost."

He scoffed and brushed past her silently. Serenity turned and watched him go, then ran after him.

"Hey! Wait! Seto-"

He turned around abruptly, frowning. "First, you will call me Kaiba. No one calls me Seto but my brother. Second, leave and quit following me."

A shiver ran down her spine. His eyes were so ...cold and penatrating. She stood her ground though, and stubbornly said, "I just want to ask you if you know where Room 411 is."

He stared at her a moment, then smirked. "How did you ever get to high school?"

She stared at him, confused. "What?"

He silently pointed to her left and then turned around again, walking away. Serenity turned to where he had pointed, and saw a door with the words 'ROOM 411' in big letters on it. She chuckled sheepishly to herself. "Oh..." Turning around, she saw his retreating back and stuck her tonque out at him childishly. "Hmph, I WAS going the right way..."

Sighing, she took a deep breath and opened the door to her first period class.

**A/N- **I hope you guys liked it! I know, it was kinda short. I'll try to make the next one longer. Please R&R! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

**Perserverence, Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Yada,Yada,Yada**

**H**ow much worse was her day going to get?By fifth period, Serenity had gotten lost before first period and, as a result, embarrassed herself in front of THE Seto Kaiba. After that, her first period teacher had yelled at her for being late to class. THEN, she'd accidently spilled some kind of blue stuff on herself during science, which wasn't so bad when it turned her white T-shirt into a blue tye-dyed shirt,but it was still uncomfortably wet. She'd gotten yelled at by the science teacher too. Lunch wasn't so bad, she got to eat with Joey and Yugi. History was okay, as was Art. Next, was physical education.

Serenity changed into her gym clothes, all of the other girls giggling and talking about something around her. When they were out on the field, the gym teacher, Mrs. Buckley, started talking to them about the rules of tennis and how to correctly hold the racquet.Serenity, who loved tennis and already knew how to play, didn't pay much attention. She noticed the other girls didn't either. Curious, she walked to where they were gathered and looked towards where they were looking. Their focus of attention was evident.

Across the girl's field, Serenity could see the guys playing basketball. Seto Kaiba was there. Enough said.

After a while, Mrs.Buckley split them into pairs. Serenity was with a girl named Kayle.

"Hi," Serenity said, approaching Kayle with a smile. Kayle acknowledged Serenity with a glance, then went back to her business of drilling holes into Kaiba's back with her eyes. The pairs started playing, with Mrs. Buckley watching critically. Across the field, the boys went on a break and most of them walked over to watch the tennis players. The girls surrounded Kaiba, fluttering their eyelashes and honeying their voices.

"Oh,Kaiba! You're so good at basketball!"

"Do you want some water to drink, Kaiba? I mean, you were doing all the work on the court back there."

"Hiiiii Kaiba."

Serenity turned away, disgusted. Kaiba suddenly noticed her and walked over, smirking.

"I see you found your way to the field. Need me to take you to the tennis court though?"

Serenity's face grew hot. The tennis court was just a few feet away! She saw the girls glance at her jealously, but she ignored them. Controlling her anger as best she could, she replied stiffly, "No thank you. Save your energy for basketball.You'll need it."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes and was about to reply when Mrs. Buckley called out. "Serenity Wheeler and Kayle Irku."

Serenity turned around. "Okay."

Kaiba's eyes widened, then he smirked again. "So you're that mutt's sister. No wonder."

Serenity ignored him and walked to the tennis court with Kayle. When she was done, Kaiba was no where to be seen.

"Finally, seventh period." Serenity heaved a sigh as she walked into her last class for the day, Skills for Living. Upon entering the room, she noticed that Tea and Tristan were also in this class. Grinning, she walked over and talked to them for a while. All of a sudden there was a chorus of giggles and talking by the door. Serenity turned around and saw-guess who, Kaiba.

"Just my luck..." Serenity mumbled turning back around and crossing her fingers, hoping that Kaiba wouldn't notice her.

"Okay, kids! Settle down!" the teacher, Miss.Rives called out. "I have a new seating chart for the remainder of the year. I've put you into random pairs. The person you sit with will be your partner all year.All pairs but one is boy/girl."

A groan traveled around the room, and Miss.Rives started calling out the pairs, pointing to the tables they were to sit at.

"Irku and Johns." Kayle and a red-headed guy walked to the designated table.

"Gardner and Taylor." Tea and Tristan, smiling broadly, walked to their table.

"McCormick and Whitney."

"Wheeler and Kaiba."

"WHAT!" Kaiba and Serenity had both said it at the same time, turning to stare at the other. Miss.Rives raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be working in sync already. The arrangement is final and it was completly random, so don't look at me." She pointed again to the table, and Serenity reluctantly walked over to it, followed after a moment by Kaiba.

"I can't believe that stupid teacher paired me up with a Wheeler." Kaiba said through clenched teeth as he sat down next to her.

"I don't like it any more that you do."

"Well, at least you got paired with someone that doesn't have a brain like yours."

"Yeah, I know, mine is much bigger compared to yours."

Kaiba snorted. "Keep dreaming."

Serenity let out a short growl. She was usually quite patient and kind, but something about Kaiba just rattled her. She smirked at him. "What are you doing in a class like this?"

"I assure you it was not by choice."

"Mr.Kaiba and Miss Wheeler, if you have something to say,then please, tell us all."

Serenity and Kaiba fell silent, glaring at each other.

"Okay, now, our unit this week is cooking.I want each of you pairs to go to one or the other's house tonight and make me this pie to bring to class tomorrow. I want to see how experienced some of you are and the difficulty in cooking I should assign in the later days. This is also a chance for you to get to know your partner better." Miss.Rives handed out the recipe sheets for the pie, then started talking about how important it was to follow the exact instructions on the sheet and about suger and salt. A/N- What the-?

The bell suddenly rang and the chairs scraped on the hard floor as the kids hurridly left. Serenity chased after Kaiba, trying desperately to keep up with his long strides.

"Are you coming over to my house tonight?"

"I will not be caught dead in a Wheeler's house. You will come to my mansion at 7:00."

Serenity stopped and stared after him. Shrugging, she turned and walked to her locker.

By 6:30, Serenity was ready to go to Kaiba's mansion. At first, she was going to wear a nice blouse and a long skirt, but then, deciding that Kaiba wouldn't notice,or care, how she dressed,she put on a plain white T-shirt and jeans.

"Joey! I'm going out! I might be back a little late so don't wait up!"

"Sure!Be careful sis!"

Serenity ran out the door and closed it behind her firmly, then walked down the sidewalk. The cool breeze blew her loose hair behind her and she smiled. Checking her watch, she began walking a little faster. She didn't want Kaiba yelling at her for being late. A few minutes later, Serenity turned the corner to see the monstruous Kaiba mansion. It was beautiful! The mansion was at least three stories tall with tons of windows. There was a pure white balcony, blending in with the rest of the house. The large, black metal gates covered a large,perfectly green lawn, flowers of different colors skillfully arranged in certain places.

Serenity walked heistantly up to the gate and pushed a red button.

"Kaiba residence. How may I help you?"

"Um...My name is Serenity Wheeler? I'm here to see Kai-...ur...Mr.Kaiba?"

There was a silence, then, "You are admitted. Welcome." The gates swung open with practically no sound at all, and Serenity walked through. The front door opened and someone with slightly long,messy black hair ran out.

"Hi,Serenity!"

"Mokuba! Hi!" Serenity smiled at the younger Kaiba sibling. He was so different from Kaiba, it was hard to believe they were related.

"What are you doing here,Serenity? Is Joey here?" Mokuba looked slightly worried.

Serenity laughed. "I have an, um...project to do with Kaiba. And no, Joey isn't here."

Mokuba grinned. "Cool! Seto'll be back from Kaiba Corp. in a little while. Do you want me to show you the mansion while you wait?"

Serenity nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Mokuba took her hand and pulled her eagerly into the house. By 7:00, Serenity had seen only half of Kaiba's mansion. She was amazed at how big it was. She would never be able to live in a house so large and not get lost. A car door slammed outside and Mokuba tugged at Serenity's hand. "Come on! I think Seto's back!"

They walked back to the front door, where Kaiba was taking off his trench coat. Upon seeing her, he narrowed his eyes and swept past them, with a quick ruffle of Mokuba's hair and a strained, "Come on," to Serenity.

Serenity sighed and followed Kaiba into the kitchen. He took out the recipe and stared at it, then took out the ingredients from the numerous cabinets in the room. "Let's get this over with."

**A/N- **Bit longer than the first chappie I think.Oh, and thank you so much to mistyshadows23 and RoseGoddess874 for leaving a review on my first chappie!


	3. Chapter 3

**Perserverence, Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer:ahem I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters**

"You idiot! You're adding way too much suger!"

Serenity glared at Kaiba, who was staring at her angrily. "Well, I have to add more suger since you put in too much flour! I told you to snip off the edge of the bag and slowly pour it in! But,did you listen! No! You just had to open the whole thing and pour all of it in because you didn't want to 'waste time' by doing it slowly!" She gave a small 'humph' and countinued pouring the suger in. Kaiba gave a small growl and turned away, eyes closed and a frown on his mouth.

Since they'd started, they'd been doing nothing but arguing. Kaiba always thought that he was right and that she was wrong. Serentiy sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. 8:00. They'd been at it for an hour, and they still hadn't gotten the dang pie in the oven. She sighed again, and proceded to put the rest of the ingrediants in. They finally got the pie ready for the oven, which they put it hastily. Afterwards, they stood there glaring at each other for a few seconds, before Kaiba motioned to the kitchen chairs and sat himself down. Serenity followed his example and sat, before starting to stare at the dial on the oven.

DING! Serenity and Kaiba both jumped up from their seats at the kitchen table, and raced to the oven. "Finally..." Serenity mumbled as she carefully lifted the steaming pie out of the oven.

"You take the pie back to your doghouse and remember to bring it tomorrow." Kaiba said coldly, before walking out of the kitchen. Serenity's mouth opened, then shut. Shrugging, she put the pie in a bag, said goodbye to Mokuba, and walked back home. She put the pie in the fridge, then walked upstairs to her room. Her alarm clock read 9:04. She heaved a big sigh of relief, falling down on her bed, and falling almost immediatly to sleep.

----------------

"JOEY! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PIE!"

"Huh? Wha-?" Joey walked in the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

Serenity took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "My pie...where is it?"

Joey suddenly smiled. "Pie? Oh, yeah. That was some goooooooood pie,sis." Serenity started wide-eyed at her brother. "YOU ATE MY PIE!" Joey shrugged, now fully awake. "Yeah, I woke up last night,hungry. Found some pie in the fridge. Ate it." He shrugged again. "You said that you'd make me some pie sometime. I thought tha was it."

Serenity forced a small smile. "Yeah...hehheh...Well, better get to school..." Joey nodded, and ran back up the stairs to brush his teeth and get his uniform on. Serenity slumped down in a chair when he was gone. How was she going to explain this to Kaiba? He was going to be furious! Mean jerk though he was, he would have a right to be angry at her after this. She was gonna get it today...

-------------------

Serenity managed to avoid Kaiba for the whole day, up until her last period of the day. Serenity stared at the door in front of her, then took a deep breath..."What are you doing?"

Serentiy squeaked, turning around to find Kaiba staring down at her with his icey blue eyes like she was some kind of filth. "Um...um..." Kaiba suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Where's the pie?" Serenity looked away, fiddling with her hands. "Uh...well...you see...J-Joey kind of...ate it?"

Kaiba's eyes widened, then narrowed again. Serenity risked a look up at his face and froze as his eyes burned holes in her. "The mutt did what!"

Serenity took another deep breath, then straightened herself up. "First of all, my brother's name is Joey, not mutt. I'm sorry if your brain isn't capable of registering that. Second, he ate it, which I already told you and you obviously heard since you're so mad. And last, I'll take the blame for it so you don't have to worry." Then she turned around and opened the door, shutting it in Kaiba's surprised face.

On the other side of the door, Serenity hit herself on the head. "You idiot, you just said all that to Seto Kaiba when it was all your fault to begin with...Gosh, you are so stupid sometimes..." Shaking her head, she walked over to her desk. A few moments later, Kaiba walked in, taking his seat next to her stiffly.

The class showed the teacher their pies smoothly, up until the teacher got to Serenity and Kaiba. She raised her eyebrows. "And where is your pie?"

"Well...my-"

"Her dog ate it."

Serenity glared at Kaiba, then turned to the teacher. "I'll make another one. I can come after school and make it for you."

The teacher nodded. "Alright then, but I expect both of you to come after school and make it." Serenity nodded, as did Kaiba after a moment.

-------------------

Serenity stretched, letting out a sigh. After school, Kaiba had actually come to help her with the pie, much to her surprise, and they'd finally finished it. The teacher had accepted it, saying only to do their work on time. They were walking down the deserted hallway now. She caught up to him, and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for helping me."

Silence.

Serenity tried again. "So,um...how was your day today?" She smacked herself mentally. How stupid did she sound.

Silence.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice here, but fine, if you don't wanna talk to us underlings."

Kaiba suddenly turned around to face her. Serenity stopped too, staring at him. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Then open,then close. Serenity smiled. He looked like a fish! Hm...come to think of it, now that his expression wasn't either angry or annoyed, Kaiba actually looked kind of...cute. Serenity blushed. Actually, cute would be a major understatement. If only he wasn't so cold to everyone, she just might fall for him. Serenity smiled to herself. His cockiness and determination were kind of cute at times, and he was nice to his brother...Plus, he really was smart or else he wouldn't be running his own company. He was almost everything a girl could want, minus the attitude.Serenity suddenly shook her head, she couldn't think like that! He called Joey a mutt! And-

"Doyouwanttoworkatmymansionasmokuba'sbabysitterandmysecretary?"

Serenity looked up at Kaiba,confused. "Excuse me? Could you repeat that a little slower?

Kaiba sighed, and turned away. After a few seconds, he said in a pained voice, "Do you want to...work at my mansion as Mokuba's babysitter and as my secretary?"

He turned back around to face her, and she stared up at him, making the mistake of looking in his eyes. She stared at them, transfixed. She'd only ever seen them when they glinted angrilly or with annoyance, but now...They were beautiful...but something was wrong. They seemed...fake. Like he was putting a mask over his eyes, not letting people see what was underneath. A thought suddenly popped into her mind. She wanted to see his real eyes. Not his masked ones...

"What's wrong with you? What's your answer?"

Serenity shook her head, blushing. "Nothing...but yes, I do want to."

Seto nodded stiffly, and Serenity noticed that his usual expression was on again. "Good. Come to my mansion immediately after school, starting tomorrow."

Serenity nodded, smiling. Kaiba then turned around and started walking away, his trench coat billowing after him.

"Hey, Kaiba, wait." Kaiba stopped.

"What?"

"W...Why did you ask me, and not just hire a professional babysitter or secretay?"

"...Mokuba wanted me to get you to be his babysitter, and he managed to...convince...me to allow you to be my secretary.None of it was my choice."

"Oh, okay then."Serenity said, trying to keep the disappointment from entering her voice. Kaiba resumed his walking, and Serenity smiled slightly. She'd have to thank Mokuba later...

**A/N- Oooooooooh! Haha. I don't think this chap was very good, but oh, well. Well, thanks to Hanishi for reviewing for my second chap. Now I need at least 1 more review for chap 4 to come up.1 review for every chap to go up. So, R&R people!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Perserverence, Chap 4**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters**

**Kaiba's POV **

I let out a small sigh as my fingers tapped the black steering wheel in front of me impatiently. How long does it take a stupid light to turn green? I glanced at my watch yet again. Damn, I wouldn't make it. Mokuba was gonna yell at me for not getting home on time to his ridiculous 'curfew'. What difference did it make whether I worked at the company building or at home? But no, it had a difference to Mokuba,so I had to go back home from the building everyday before 9:30 PM. The things I did for my brother... Including the thing about that Wheeler girl. I gave a small growl as I remembered the conversation with Mokuba the night before, after Serenity had left with the pie.

_Flashback_

_Mokuba smiled demurely up at his big brother. "Hey, Seto?"_

_"What?"_

_"I really like Serenity."_

_"Hm."_

_"You said you were going to hire a babysitter for me, right? Since you don't get home until like 9 o' clock?"_

_"Yeah, I'm working on it. I haven't found anybody yet."_

_"Well, I want Serenity to be my babysitter."_

_"No."_

_"Yes. And she gets to be your secretary too. You really need one big brother!You might be smart, but you're not very organized and you forget stuff easily whenever you're working."_

_"No way. I'll get a secretary if you want me to, Mokuba, but not a Wheeler."_

_"I want her! If you don't get her as a babysitter and secretary, then I'll...show everyone at school that picture we took a long time ago. You know, the one at the beach where I buried you in sand and put those...mounds, on your chest, like you had - " (A/N- Like Joey on 'Friends')_

_"I thought I burned that picture!"_

_"I made copies."_

_"giggle"_

_"...Fine, but give me the picture."_

_"Promise first."_

_"...I promise that I'll get...Serenity Wheeler as your babysitter...and as my secretary..."_

_"Okay!"_

_"The picture?"_

_"Don't have it. You burned it, remember!" Mokuba ran off, face split in half with a huge grin._

_"MOKUBA!"_

_End Flashback_

HONK! I jerked as the sudden sound broke through my thoughts. A green light. Finally. I stepped on the gas, pushing the memory out my mind, as my car raced forward. Actually, that Wheeler girl actually wasn't that bad, for being a Wheeler. She was on the pretty side, with her long auburn hair and clear eyes that always seemed to shine merrily. Except when she was arguing with me, of course. Even then, she was pretty. She seemed very nice too, from what I saw of her in the hallways. Arg! I thought I was pushing that out my mind! Okay...

**End Kaiba's POV **

-----------------

"YOU WHAT!"

"Joey, you don't have to yell."

"HOW CAN I NOT YELL!MY LITTLE SIS IS GONNA WORK FER SOME WEASEL-HEADED,STUCK-UP,MONEYBAGS!"

"Oh,Joey, you know I've been looking for a job anyways.Why not take this job? You know I've been babysitting since I was little, and I've always been really organized."

Joey sat down on the couch with a 'humph', an angry scowl on his face. "Well, do it for someone else."

Serenity smiled and sat down next to her scowling brother, changing her voice into a pleading one. "Oh, come on,Joey. I bet Kaiba would pay better than anyone, and at least you know Kaiba, not like if I went to work for some stranger."

Joey face contorted into uncertainty. "Yeah, I guess so, buh..."

Serenity eagerly leaned forward. "Come on, Joey. I promise I'll tell you if he does anything to me."

Joey frowned, then gave a sigh of resignation. "Fine..."

Serenity grinned. "Thank you, Joey!" She gave him a small peck on the cheek before bounding up the stairs to her bedroom. She flopped onto her bed, a silly grin plastered on her face. She would see Kaiba's real eyes, whether he liked it or not.

-----------------

BRRRING! Serenity jumped up from her seat, hastily grabbed her books, and rushed to the door, into the large throng of talking students. Weaving her way around, she found her way to Skills for Living. Walking in, she waved hi to Tristan and Tea, before taking her seat. A few minutes later, the tardy bell rang, and Serenity frowned. Where was Kaiba? Miss.Rives,the teacher cleared her throat then, and started calling roll. When she got to Kaiba, she frowned in irritation. "I see that Mr. Kaiba has skipped school to work at Kaiba Corp. again."

Serenity forced a small groan down. Oh, so that was where he was. Class passed uneventfully, with Serenity eagerly watching the clock. When the dismissal bell finally rang, Serenity grinned and gathered her books, running down to hallway towards the door.

"Hey, wait up! Ser!"

Serenity stopped and turned around to see Joey running after her. He caught up and grinned down at her.

"Okay, let's go."

Serenity stared at him. "Um...go where, Joey?"

Joey grinned and gave her hair a ruffle. "Ta Kaiba's house o' course. Don't ya haf ta go work there now?"

"...What? Come on, you're gonna be late."

"Joey, you can't go."

"I'm going or you're not going. ...Just fer today."

"Joey, please." Serenity begged, using the eyes that usually swayed Joey into what she wanted. This time though, Joey firmly shook his head and started walking towards the door.

"I'm going whether you like it or not, sis."

**A/N- So, how'd you like that chap? . As you can see, i usually update fast when I get a review. Gosh, you don't know how good reviews make you feel until you get one, huh? Well, R&R ppl if you want another chap!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Perserverence, Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, and I won't any time soon. (**

Serenity stared at the white door in front of her, then glanced at her brother, who was staring wide-eyed at the door. "Wow, Kaiba sure doesn't hold back does he?"

Serenity shook her head. "Um,...Joey, can you please go back home?"

Joey grinned and shook his head back at her. Serenity sighed, then rang the doorbell. They dimly heard the monotonous ring inside and a few moments later, the door opened. A young girl with red hair looked out at them and smiled. "Hello, are you Serenity Wheeler?"

Serenity nodded, smiling back. "Yes, I am. And this is my brother, Joey Wheeler." Joey grinned at her. "Hey."

The girl smiled and moved out of the doorway, motioning for them to come in. "I am Suzui, Master Kaiba's cook and maid. Master Mokuba is in his room, playing video games. There are meals already in the refridgerator, just heat them in the microwave for about two minutes. Master Kaiba usually comes home around 9:30, and he expects his coffee to be ready by five minutes, so you need to start making it when it's near 9:30. He likes his coffee with a lot of cream and only a little bit of suger. " Serenity watched in confusion as Suzui put on her coat and shoes, and opened the door.

"Did you understand everything I said?

"Um...yes, but why are you telling me all of this? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to be on vacation for a while. That's why Master Kaiba was looking for a babysitter. I usually look after Master Mokuba. Master Kaiba will expect you to be making his coffee now that I'm not here too."

"Oh,...I knew that."

Suzui smiled. "Any more questions?"

Serenity shook her head.

"Okay,then, I'll be going now." She started to walk out the door, then stopped and turned around, smiling. "Oh, and Miss Serenity? Please don't be too hard on master Kaiba...He might seem a little cold hearted and cruel, but I think deep down he's a good person. Granted, that doesn't stop him from yelling at me at least five times a day...but he's been through alot."

Serenity nodded, and with a polite nod to Joey, Suzui left. Serenity locked the door, then turned to face Joey, who looked skeptical. "Tha lady must be a lil sick in da head. No way Kaiba's _a lil_ cold hearted and cruel."

Serenity sighed. "Joey..."

Joey frowned, though his eyes twinkled. "Yea, sis?" Serenity shook her head and started up the stairs. At the top of the stairs was a long, grand-looking hallway. Doors lined the walls, and a red carpet lined the floor. A large painting hung on the middle left wall, depicting a garden. Serenity heard Joey give a short whistle behind her, before Mokuba shot out of one of the doors . "Serenity! You're here!Hi!" he suddenly frowned. "Oh,...hi Joey."

Joey grinned. "Aw, Mokuba. I'm hurt. Aren't ya happy ta see me?"

Mokuba smiled. "Of course I am! I just don't think my brother will be too happy though..."

Serenity looked pointedly at Joey. "Don't worry, Mokuba. Joey won't be coming tomorrow, only today."

Joey pretended to look sad, but he nodded. Mokuba grinned. "Sure! Joey, wanna play some video games with me? Seto got me a new game yesterday! It's great!"

Joey nodded. "Sure. I love video games."

The two headed into Mokuba's room, and Serenity followed. She watched the two play for a while, before getting bored and leaving, saying that she was going to get a snack. In the hallway again, she heard the grandfather's clock downstairs chime four times. Serenity sighed. "What am I gonna do for five and half more hours?" She headed down the stairs and into the kitchen and got a glass of water, before wandering back into the main hallway downstairs. She stared down the hallway for a moment, thinking. _Last time I was here, Mokuba only showed me around upstairs. I didn't get to see this hall cuz Kaiba came back home...Well, if i'm gonna be working here, I have to know my way around right?_

Serenity nodded to herself and set the glass of water on the desk by the stairs before starting down the hallway. This hallway was a little darker and gloomier then the upstairs one. The first door she came to was just a closet, and next came a bathroom that looked like it had never been used. The next door Serenity opened led into a dark room, with several beds. "Servents' quarters?" Serenity grinned. She couldn't blame Kaiba for being so egotistical when he was so rich at so young an age, and not to mention being so alluring and so hot...Serenity shook her head. Whoa!

Still shaking her head, Serenity countinued down the hallway, until she came to another door. She gasped when she opened it. Kaiba had his own library! Numerous shelves lined the walls, and in a corner was a couch that looked extremely comfortable, next to which was a lamp on a small table. She walked in, examining the various books on the shelves. He had books on practically everything! She glanced at her watch, and groaned inwardly at the time. She wouldn't have time to read and still explore the rest of the hallway, and get back to the kitchen to heat the dinner in time. Kaiba would probably jump at any chance to fire her, and not giving his little brother his dinner on time was as good as any reason.

Serenity walked out of the library, shutting the door carefully behind her. She then countinued to walk down the countinually darkening hallway. She walked for a few minutes and was about to turn back in dissapointment when a flash of silver caught her eye. Taking a few more steps foward, she saw a large door, with a kind of metal keypad thing on the right side. Serenity let her curiosity get the better of her, and tried to push the door open. Surprisingly, it opened. She grinned. It must be broken. It did look kind of old. She stepped through, closing the door behind her. She felt her way along the wall, until her hands touched something. A switch. She flicked it on eagerly, and light flooded the room. Serenity stared in shock at the sight that met her astonished eyes.

She was in a narrow passage way that connected with a small room. On the far left side of the room, a variety of gruesome-looking tools hung on the walls. In the middle of the room was a single wooden chair. Serenity stepped foward heistantly. It was like she'd just stepped into some kind of horror movie scene. Splotches or red stained the walls and floor, and Serenity tried to push the thought that it might be blood out of her mind. Moving closer to the hanging tools, Serenity felt her heart beat faster. Whips with stained red ends, knives, needles. There were also ordinary items such as thumbtacks, ans scissors, but when arranged on the wall like it was with the other items, they too seemed gruesome.

Serenity felt a shiver run up her spine. "Why would Kaiba have this room?"

Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder, and Serenity jumped. "It's raining?...Well, it was pretty dark and cloudy outside today..." Serenity shivered again, the pitter patter of the raindrops seemed to grow louder, and Serenity gave a small whimper, quickly heading towards the door. Before she got there however, there was a fizzling sound, and then the lights completly shut off, leaving Serenity in complete darkness. She let out an involuntary scream, and fell to the floor, scooting backwards until her back was against the wall.

"Joey..." she choked out, staring around the darkness. Images popped into her mind, and she wimpered again. Another clap of thunder sounded, and Serenity choked her scream back. She felt tears coming, but she quickly wiped them away. Crying wouldn't help anything. At that moment, she heard footsteps in the passageway to her right. She held a scream in, and held her breath, willing her eyes to see something in the dark. She heard the sound of some fumbling, and then, "Stupid flashlight, won't even work. Damn."..."Serenity, you in here?"

A beam of light suddenly exploded to her right and Serenity gave a strangled cry. She was staring straight at Kaiba. She felt tears tug at her eyes again, and this time she let them. She catapulted herself up and ran to Kaiba, practically knocking him down as she flung her arms around him. "Kaiba!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

**Kaiba's POV**

I sighed and stared glumly at the windshield wipers as they went back and forth, back and forth. The rain had come suddenly, and I was trapped in the traffic, cause everyone was going too damn slow. I glanced at the clock. 4:45. I'd decided to come back home early today. I was uneasy with the mutt's sister alone at the mansion with Mokuba. The car in front finally moved, and I stepped down on the gas petal, my car moving sleekly through the rapidly pouring rain.

"Mokuba! I'm home!" I yelled up the stairs as I peeled my wet trench coat off. I threw it lazily down on the couch, and Mokuba appeared at the top of the stairs. "Seto! You came home early!"

I smiled one of my rare smiles. "Yeah...where's the mutt's sister?"

Mokuba changed his smile into a frown. "Oh,yeah, Serenity! Where'd she go..?"

I stared at him. "What do you mean, 'where'd she go'? Isn't she with yo - ?" I stopped in mid-word, and stared at the person that just then appeared next to my brother. "Mutt! What are you doing here?"

Joey glared at me. "Don' worry your rich ass about it. I'm jus gonna be here today. Makin' sure my lil sis is gonna be alright."

I glared right back at him. "And where is this sister of yours?"

Joey stared at me, then looked around. "Yo, Serenity!" Silence met our ears. I groaned. "Let's split up and look for her. Bet she's in some room stealing a painting or something."

"My sis wouldn't do tha'!"

"Oh, you're right. _You're_ the one who would do that.Your sister is a bit more civilized."

I walked away from him before he could reply. The whole mansion was silent except for the occasional clap of thunder and the consistant sound of raindrops. I walked to the kitchen,meaning to check it, and noticed a glass of water on the desk. I stared at it, then looked up the corridor. Mumbling under my breath, I walked down the hallway, opening and closing doors. When she wasn't in the library either, I looked to the last door in the hallway. "She wouldn't..."

I walked over to it quickly and pulled on it. It opened, revealing the darkness inside. Uttering a curse word under my breath, I grabbed a flashlight from the small cabinet on the far side of the wall, and proceded into the room. Feeling my way along the wall with my left hand, I fumbled with the flashlight, trying to turn it on.

"Stupid flashlight,won't even work. Damn." I sighed, and glanced around, not really seeing anything. "Serenity, you in here?"

I tried the button one more time, and this time, the flashlight actually turned on. The beam of light it cast landed right on the form of Serenity. I stared at her in shock as she stared up at me and let out a strangled cry. The last thing I saw before she practically tackled me was her tear-stained face, eyes filled with relief."Kaiba!"

I let out a small 'oomph' as she came into contact with me, and accidently dropped the flashlight.

"Shit." I rolled my eyes and looked down at Serenity's head. "Let go of me."

She shook her head and buried her face in the front of my shirt. I groaned, and tried to pry her off. She wouldn't let go though, and I finally gave up. I walked over to where the flashlight had dropped, with some difficulty, and picked it up. "Come on, then."

Serenity nodded, and I started for the entrance. There was a sudden loud clap of thunder, and Serenity screamed, tightning her hold around me. I could feel her trembling against me, and I rolled my eyes again. "Your're cutting off my air supply."

She ignored me, and I countinued toward the door. We finally walked out of the room, and I shut the door firmly behind me. Just then, Joey ran over, and grabbed Serenity away from me. I gave a sigh of relief, straightening my shirt.

"Kaiba! What'd you do ta my lil sis!" Joey asked, glaring menacingly at me. "She's crying!"

I scoffed. "She was nearly killing me, and you ask what I did to her?"

Joey looked down at Serenity. "Sis?"

Serenity shook her head, and looked up at him. She wiped her tears, and smiled at him. "I'm okay, Joey. Seto didn't do anything to me."

Joey and I stared at her in shock. "SETO!"

"I thought I told you only my brother calls me Seto." I said, glaring at her, before brushing past her. "Don't do it again."

Serenity mumbled an apology, and walked glumly behind me, Joey at her side.

--------------------------------------------------

**Serenity's POV**

"Serenity! Where were you?" Mokuba jumped up from his seat on the couch we appeared from the hallway.

I smiled at him. "I was exploring your house, and uh...I kinda got lost."

Kaiba suddenly stepped in front of me, staring down at me with distaste. "You can go home now, since I'm back. I don't have anything for you to do right now. Come back tomorrow."

I nodded meekly, and he turned on his heels and went upstairs. I stared up after him, and Joey shook me. "Sis? You alright?"

I nodded again, and turned to Mokuba. "Okay, well then see you tomorrow, Mokuba."

"Sure! Lemme get Seto's driver to drive you guys home. It's still raining outside.

I nodded and grabbed my coat. A few moments later, me and Joey were in a black limosuine, on our way back home. I stared out the window, watching the houses speed past. When I was in that room, sitting on the floor against the wall in pitch black darkness, I'd been so scared. I mean, who wouldn't be if you had just finished watching "The Grudge" the night before.

But as soon as I'd seen Kaiba, I was so...relieved. Then after I was hugging him, I felt so safe and warm. I wasn't scared of the dark and the room anymore. I was just scared that Kaiba would leave me all alone. It was the weirdest feeling... I blushed suddenly, remembering it, and quickly glanced at Joey to make sure that he wasn't looking at me. He wasn't. I sighed, and looked out the window again. And what was up with me calling him Seto all of a sudden? Like I actually liked him...I shook my head furiously. Who would like such a egotistical, hard-headed, cold guy? I sighed again, shifting my position.

"Hey sis."

I turned around to look at Joey. "Yeah?"

"Stop sighing like you're some love-sick girl."

I blushed, and turned away. "Yeah..."

**A/N** - Hey! Sorry this one took so long! Been busy with homework. But to make up for it, I made this one longer...at least I think I did... Well, as always, R&R!


End file.
